Children affected by the devastating April 25 earthquake and recurring aftershocks had gradually started feeling normal through participation in various extra-curricular activities. But since the closure of schools two weeks ago, students again appear haunted by the terror of the great earthquake.Nine-year -old Samjhana Tamang of Haku-9 was at a nearby public tap during the April 25 earthquake. Since then, she is scared to even walk out of her house alone.
"She is unable to overcome fear even three months after the earthquake. School was a pleasant distraction as studies and extra-curricular activities kept her busy," said Samjhana's mother Sanu Kanchhi Tamang.
According to her, private schools in the area are still open while all public schools have announced summer vacation. Children, who lost their parents in the quake, fare worse.
Kami Dolma from the same village, who lost her mother in a landslide after the quake, keeps asking her mother's whereabouts. According to her father Mangal Singh Tamang, closure of schools for summer holidays has added to their problems. "As she is on her own most of the time, she remembers her mother and keeps crying," he complained.
Prem Bahadur Tamang of Saramthali -9 said local guardians had asked teachers to keep the schools open. "But teachers answered that the decision was taken by school management," he said.
Also, according to Ashabir Tamang of Dadagaun, schools should remain open, especially after a great disaster, for the mental well-being of children. When children are busy with their studies, they tend to recover from mental trauma faster.
Noticeably, the problem is seen mostly among children belonging to poor families. "We send our kids to schools from the little money we save by skipping our meals. But the schools are always looking for excuses to give unnecessary holidays," said Karma Tamang, another local of Haku-9.
On the other hand, teachers feel it is risky to keep the schools open during monsoon season. Although the schools had been conducting classes in temporary shelters, which were built by the locals themselves, the schools are not at a high risk of landslides, they argued.
District Education Officer of Rasuwa Ramsharan Sapkota said the schools had been pre-informed not to announce unnecessary holidays. "But the teachers argued that the schools were at high risk of landslides," he said.
According to him, the teachers themselves fear possible landslides in the area. "Only schools at high risk of landslides have been closed. We still want to keep as many schools open as possible. But the teachers have said that they would make up for these holidays by conducting classes during Dashain and winter vacation," he said.
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